Display panel and display apparatus including the same

Abstract

A display panel includes a substrate including a main display area, a component area, and a peripheral area, an inorganic insulating layer disposed over the substrate and including an opening overlapping the component area, a first organic insulating layer filling the opening of the inorganic insulating layer, and an auxiliary display element disposed over the first organic insulating layer in the component area, wherein the inorganic insulating layer includes a first insulating layer having a first opening, a second insulating layer having a second opening, and a third insulating layer having a third opening the first opening of the first insulating layer, the second opening of the second insulating layer, and the third opening of the third insulating layer overlap each other in the opening of the inorganic insulating layer, and an area of the first opening is less than an area of the third opening.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A display panel comprising:
 a substrate comprising a main display area, a component area, and a peripheral area;   an inorganic insulating layer overlapping a surface of the substrate and comprising a terraced opening overlapping the component area;   a buffer layer disposed between the inorganic insulating layer and the substrate;   a first organic insulating layer filling the terraced opening in the inorganic insulating layer; and   an auxiliary light emitting display element overlapping both the first organic insulating layer and the component area, wherein   the inorganic insulating layer comprises a first insulating layer having a first opening, a second insulating layer having a second opening, and a third insulating layer having a third opening,   the first opening in the first insulating layer, the second opening in the second insulating layer, and the third opening in the third insulating layer overlap each other and form corresponding portions of the terraced opening in the inorganic insulating layer, an area of the first opening is less than an area of the second opening, and   the first insulating layer is positioned nearer to the substrate than the second insulating layer.   
     
     
         2 . The display panel of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an auxiliary pixel circuit overlapping the peripheral area and comprising an auxiliary thin film transistor; and   a transparent connection line electrically connecting the auxiliary light emitting display element to the auxiliary pixel circuit and at least partially overlapping the first organic insulating layer in a region overlapping the component area.   
     
     
         3 . The display panel of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a metal connection line electrically connecting the transparent connection line to the auxiliary light emitting display element, wherein   the metal connection line and the transparent connection line are disposed on a same layer as one another, and   a portion of the transparent connection line directly contacts a corresponding portion of the metal connection line.   
     
     
         4 . The display panel of  claim 1 , wherein:
 each of a first distance between an end of an inner surface of the first opening and an end of an inner surface of the second opening and a second distance between the end of the inner surface of the second opening and an end of an inner surface of the third opening is about 2 μm or more, and   a sum of the first distance and the second distance is in a range of about 4 μm to about 25 μm.   
     
     
         5 . The display panel of  claim 1 , wherein
 a sum of a thickness of the first insulating layer and a thickness of the second insulating layer is greater than 0 Å and less than or equal to about 3000 Å, and   a plane tangent to an inner surface of the first opening is also tangent to an inner surface of the second opening.   
     
     
         6 . The display panel of  claim 1 , wherein
 the third insulating layer comprises a stack of a first layer and a second layer formed of different materials from one another,   the first layer comprises a (3-1)-th opening,   the second layer comprises a (3-2)-th opening, and   an inner surface of the (3-1)-th opening and an inner surface of the (3-2)-th opening are misaligned with each other.   
     
     
         7 . The display panel of  claim 1 , wherein the buffer layer is continuously disposed on the component area. 
     
     
         8 . The display panel of  claim 1 , wherein the buffer layer includes a buffer-opening overlapping the component area. 
     
     
         9 . A display panel comprising:
 a substrate comprising a main display area, a component area, and a peripheral area;   an inorganic insulating layer overlapping the substrate and comprising an opening overlapping the component area;   a first organic insulating layer filling the opening in the inorganic insulating layer;   a main light emitting display element disposed on the main display area;   a main pixel circuit electrically connected to the main light emitting display element; and   an auxiliary light emitting display element overlapping both the first organic insulating layer and the component area, wherein   the inorganic insulating layer comprises a first insulating layer having a first opening, a second insulating layer having a second opening, and a third insulating layer having a third opening,   the first opening in the first insulating layer, the second opening in the second insulating layer, and the third opening in the third insulating layer overlap each other and form corresponding portions of the opening in the inorganic insulating layer,   an area of the first opening is less than an area of the third opening, and   the first organic insulating layer is disposed between the main light emitting display element and the main pixel circuit.   
     
     
         10 . The display panel of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a second organic insulating layer overlapping the first organic insulating layer.   
     
     
         11 . A display apparatus comprising:
 a display panel comprising a main display area comprising main subpixels, a component area comprising auxiliary subpixels, and a peripheral area corresponding to a non-display area disposed outside of both the main display area and the component area; and   a component disposed under the display panel, the component area overlapping the component in a direction perpendicular to the component, wherein   the display panel comprises:
 a substrate; 
 an inorganic insulating layer overlapping the substrate in the direction, the inorganic insulating layer comprising an opening disposed in the component area; 
 a first organic insulating layer filling the opening in the inorganic insulating layer; 
 an auxiliary light emitting display element disposed in the component area; and 
 an auxiliary pixel circuit comprising an auxiliary thin film transistor disposed in the peripheral area and that drives the auxiliary light emitting display element to emit light, the auxiliary light emitting display element being spaced apart from the auxiliary thin film transistor in an orthographic view in the direction, 
   the inorganic insulating layer comprises a first insulating layer having a first opening, a second insulating layer having a second opening, and a third insulating layer having a third opening,   the first opening in the first insulating layer, the second opening in the second insulating layer, and the third opening in the third insulating layer overlap each other in the direction and form corresponding portions of the opening in the inorganic insulating layer, and   an area of the first opening is less than an area of the third opening.   
     
     
         12 . The display apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein
 the auxiliary pixel circuit is disposed in the peripheral area, and   the display apparatus further comprises a transparent connection line electrically connecting the auxiliary light emitting display element to the auxiliary pixel circuit, a portion of the transparent connection line overlapping, in the direction, a portion of the first organic insulating layer in the component area.   
     
     
         13 . The display apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a metal connection line electrically connecting the transparent connection line to the auxiliary light emitting display element, wherein   the metal connection line and the transparent connection line are disposed on a same layer as one another, and   the portion of the transparent connection line directly contacts a corresponding portion of the metal connection line.   
     
     
         14 . The display apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein
 each of a first distance between an end of an inner surface of the first opening and an end of an inner surface of the second opening and a second distance between the end of the inner surface of the second opening and an end of an inner surface of the third opening is about 2 μm or more, and   a sum of the first distance and the second distance is in a range of about 4 μm to about 25 μm.   
     
     
         15 . The display apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein
 a sum of a thickness of the first insulating layer in the direction and a thickness of the second insulating layer in the direction is greater than 0 Å and less than or equal to about 3000 Å, and   a plane tangent to an inner surface of the first opening is also tangent to an inner surface of the second opening.   
     
     
         16 . The display apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein
 the third insulating layer comprises a stack of a first layer and a second layer formed of different materials from one another,   the first layer comprises a (3-1)-th opening,   the second layer comprises a (3-2)-th opening, and   an inner surface of the (3-1)-th opening and an inner surface of the (3-2)-th opening are misaligned with each other.   
     
     
         17 . The display apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a buffer layer disposed between the substrate and the inorganic insulating layer,   wherein the buffer layer is continuously disposed in the component area.   
     
     
         18 . The display apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a buffer layer disposed between the substrate and the inorganic insulating layer,   wherein the buffer layer includes a buffer-opening in the component area.   
     
     
         19 . The display apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a main light emitting display element disposed in the main display area; and   a main pixel circuit electrically connected to the main light emitting display element,   wherein the first organic insulating layer is disposed between the main light emitting display element and the main pixel circuit.   
     
     
         20 . The display apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein
 the component comprises an imaging device, and   the auxiliary light emitting display element overlaps the imaging device in the direction.